Professional Skill Development

We are committed to developing the skills of our employees, who represent the foundation of our business, in order to respond to customers' increasingly diverse and sophisticated needs. We provide training programs for specific purposes, including training programs suited to each career level and training to develop specific areas of expertise, and we work to enhance the programs whenever necessary.
In fiscal 2010, seven new expert training courses were added to train LTE installation and IP engineers and other specialists.
As part of efforts to help employees with their own development, we make available a menu of some 430 correspondence courses and also provide support for acquisition of 85 types of certification. In fiscal 2010, approximately 1,200 employees acquired some form of public certification.
In addition, managers help motivate employees before training starts and follow up with interviews afterward. Employees are also encouraged to study on their own after training programs end. This includes review assignments based on the training curriculum that is sent to their mobile phones. We help employees formulate skill development plans for different areas of specialization.
In fiscal 2011, we will reinforce employee skill development programs with a focus on global training and developing the creative thinking abilities needed to take on new business fields.

Managers at various levels—department, office, branch, section, etc.—are evaluated every year by themselves and their superiors, colleagues and subordinates in a "360-degree multifaceted" assessment.
It specifically assesses the mangers' ability to articulate a vision, their ability to implement it and their ability to effectively make use of human resources. The results of the evaluations are conveyed to the managers and their superiors. The program is intended to improve awareness and hone managerial skills. It serves to make managers aware of any discrepancies between how they perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others. It also provides them insight into the attitudes and behaviors expected of them.
In fiscal 2010, evaluations were held from December 2010 to February 2011, and there was a marked increase in performance ratings from subordinates, showing that the managerial abilities of managers with respect to their staff have improved.
In addition to quantitative evaluations based on a performance rating, since last fiscal year we have encouraged employees to make constructive observations as well because qualitative evaluations in the form of advice from others are also essential. Managers set firm goals for further improvement of management abilities and work to achieve them.
Through this program we hope to continue to developing a culture in which all employees take a professional interest in how others view and assess them.

DOCOMO posts jobs internally to provide opportunities for ambitious employees. Employees are free to apply for openings on their own initiative. The jobs that come up tend to require specific skills or be associated with new business activities. Around 1,400 employees have applied as of fiscal 2010 and of them around 200 are currently working in their department of choice. In order to promote personnel exchange within the NTT Group, the Job Challenge program has also been established for employees to apply for positions at NTT Group companies.

The DOCOMO Business Awards are conducted to honor employees who make exceptional contributions to business in order to help raise employee motivation and promote smooth business administration. Awards are given out in four divisions. Marketing Awards are for helping raise market value, Process Awards, for helping raise the value of business processes, Global Awards, for contributing to overseas business development, and Image-Up Awards, for enhancing our brand and overall image.

•  Applies to NTT DOCOMO, INC.

DOCOMO has a special program called the In-House Venture System in which employees take on the challenge of commercializing a venture business based on their own ideas while the company supports their entrepreneurialism by incubating the business, which can include investment. The program's goals are to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit among employees and help us move into new business areas. Plans submitted by employees are evaluated for their originality, marketability and feasibility. The final decision on whether to establish a start-up company for the venture is made following a three-stage screening process.
The employees who originally submitted the plan are put in charge of managing the start-up. They must demonstrate business acumen, networking prowess and executive ability. They must also have the stamina and mental toughness needed to see the venture through.
The program has drawn 251 applications as of March 2011 and has resulted in the establishment of five new companies. One of the companies, Dynastep Corp., established in 2007, provides certification development services, support for human resources development through certification testing, and support for promotions using certification tests. It is involved in a wide range of business activities, from planning, development and operation of certification tests using mobile phones to human resources development and promotions using certification testing.
Going forward, we intend to actively carry out initiatives designed to cultivate an even stronger entrepreneurial spirit in employees, including seminars conducted by executives of venture companies, and consultation sessions regarding In-House Venture initiative.